Vote, Goddammit!

I know that there are some states in which the powers that be make it difficult to vote, forcing you to produce documents you might not have, or making you take off from work to stand in long lines during inclement weather. But Washington State is not one of them. Here we vote entirely by mail. All it takes is a couple minutes, a pen, and a stamp. And while I can’t guarantee it, the stamp is pretty much optional.

So really, you’ve got absolutely no excuse not to vote. If you don’t trust the mail, King County Elections has 22 drop boxes and vans located throughout the county. Lost your ballot? You can print a replacement online, and return it by 8pm tonight via mail, fax, or email (though you’ll have to send in a paper copy by the certification deadline in order for your electronic ballot to count).

It’s easy!

As for how to vote, that’s up to you. I’ve voted for I-594 (gun background checks), against I-591 (stoopid NRA initiative), for I-1351 (reduce class sizes), for Seattle’s Prop 1B (universal preschool), and for Seattle Transportation Benefit District Prop 1 (more money for Seattle bus service). Also, for all the Supreme Court incumbents.

As for what to expect, the only contest above that’s likely to be close is Seattle Prop 1. Not sure if it passes, and if it does, I’ve no idea whether 1A or 1B prevails. The only other intriguing local contest is the 43rd LD race between Democratic incumbent House Speaker Frank Chopp and Socialist Alternative challenger Jess Spear. Chopp will win, but he should be awfully embarrassed if Spear tops 30 percent.

I doubt Dems take the state senate, and I’m pretty sure they’ll lose control of the federal one. So that sucks. But whatever. Vote, goddammit. Or don’t ever, ever complain about the guvmint.

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The silver lining of a republican senate would be, that the republicans will be unable to appease their teabag base.

Unlike you you expatriation isn’t a real option for me right now, I’m too old for a workers visa and too young to retire, unless of course I wanted to work on a factory trawler fishing krill in Antarctica, then there’s New Zealand.

Voting disruptions being reported across the country — including fights at polling places — should make you appreciate how convenient mail-in voting is, and how smoothly it goes.

In Chicago, over 250 polling place supervisors failed to report for work after receiving robocalls telling them not to come in.

In Connecticut, the governor has asked a court to order extended voting hours in the state capital of Hartford after voting there was delayed by failure to deliver voter lists to polling places. That state also reported problems with optical scanners, polling places running out of ballots, and scattered fights at polling places (no details available yet).

A fight in Philadelphia between Democratic and Republican poll workers also was reported.

Roger Rabbit Commentary: Republicans want to make it easy to get guns and hard to vote. If you don’t vote, you’re playing right into their hands. Casting our ballots is the best weapon we have against these scumbags.

It’s hard to feel good about what this election just from looking at the polls, but many of the key races are close, and a strong turnout could save them. Also, while the voters’ anti-incumbent mood works against Democratic Senators, it also works against Republican governors. Voters aren’t anti-Democrat; they’re upset with the status quo and incumbents. That cuts both ways, and could produce some unpleasant outcomes for Republicans in state governments where they dominate. Plus, several high-profile GOP candidates are mired in scandals, which seem to be reaching pandemic proportions in their party.

Here’s hoping the low return numbers at king county HQ help 594 get defeated and re-written in a form that actually focuses on gun sale background check loopholes while reasonable non-ownership transfers are permitted.

…Jim Miller was drooling yesterday over potential GOP gains in state legislatures.

And doing his usual careful work:

“The brief description he gives of his model sounds plausible, but I haven’t looked at it (and don’t have time to before the election), nor do I know what the model’s track record is, though I assume he tested it against past elections.”

On Election Night 2010, Jim was counting on another source he hadn’t bothered to check, for his prediction that Dino Rossi would beat Patty Murray. Oh well.

Obviously you’d like to see more guns out to more people. Would you, perhaps, endorse gun purchases and open carry by WallyWorld inmates? I’m sure they’d appreciate the upgrade in armament from shivs and such.

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